The Lambda-class shuttle
Kwai emerged from hyperspace in the Essesia system,
having returned from a trip to retrieve the governor's
wife from her home planet of Gallinore. Much had
occurred in the time she had been away and Lieutenant
Haven Anson, the shuttle's young pilot, had been under
strict orders not to reveal any of what had transpired.
Through the viewport of the shuttle an increased number
of Imperial warships could be seen from when she left,
and almost immediately upon entering the system they
were intercepted by a flight of TIE fighters. Esseles
was now under Imperial blockade. As Haven nonchalantly
transmitted their clearance code, the Kwai began
priority landing aboard the Warspite, the Grand Moff's
command ship. "I'll have you aboard in no time, Milady,"
she reported dutifully, as her hands competently worked
the controls. She wanted to be out there flying one of
the TIEs, but her father had forbade it, as the life
expectancy of a rookie TIE pilot was quite low given the
increased Rebel starfighter attacks.

From within the shuttle,
Htaere's stormy grey eyes narrowed slightly in keen
study of the alarming number of battleships in the
system. It was too much to hope that in her time away
things had settled. It had seemed they were worse, if
anything. Hearing the pilot, she fixed her face briefly
before look back out towards the viewport. "Thank you,
Lieutenant." A deep dread winked to life in her gut much
like an ember gaining in strength to yield a fire. "Is
there a problem here? So many ships..."

Haven cringed inside the
black Imperial uniform she wore the moment Htaere
questioned her, knowing that she was not authorized to
answer the question. She swallowed nervously, her petite
neck bulging against the raised collar of her tunic. Her
free left hand moved to the blonde locks that spilled
out from beneath her cover, twirling it nervously,
before replying. "I ... I really can't say, Milady," she
said, uncomfortably, unwilling to turn her head to look
at the young noblewoman. Mercifully the shuttle soon
found itself entering the Warspite's expansive hangar
bay, which too saw an increased presence, as technicians
readies to keep starfighters on patrol constantly, and
Stormtroopers were posted at every access point. The
lackadaisical behavior that existed before was
nonexistent ... this vessel was on alert.

As the shuttle descended,
Major Kerrie Kiley marched dutifully across the flight
deck to meet it. The Clawdite had suffered mightily in
the time that Htaere had been away, and she had very
nearly lost her life at the hand's of Jelena. It would
be a grim task to inform Htaere about what had happened,
and while she viewed the Grand Moff as something of a
coward for instructing her to do it, she somehow felt
that she could do a better job than him anyway and that
somehow relieved her. As she stood at attention in front
of the lowering shuttle ramp, she placed both of her
hands behind her back and waited patiently for Htaere to
descend. There was a part of her that wanted to surge
forward and hug her, but the Stormtroopers were
watching, and she had a reputation to protect.

Collecting herself,
Htaere adjusted the elegant sari around her and waited
for the ramp to descend. When it touched down, she
floated elegantly down the ramp, eyes lighting up
instantly upon seeing Kerrie. Despite all protocol, she
considered Kerrie a dear friend and did not care what
anyone else thought. "Kerrie!" Htaere did not hesitate
to give the major a warm embrace. "I am so pleased to
see you again. I have missed you, my friend."

Htaere went along as
jovially as possible considering the increase in
military presence most obviously around the Warspite as
well. "Has something happened?" she asked quietly, her
accent thick yet always pleasing to the ear. "So many
ships in system, and all the security here," she
motioned vaguely around them. "Is everyone alright?"

All Kerrie could do was
nervously clear her throat in response to Htaere's
questions, and her gloved hands began to intermingle as
she nervously fumbled about. As they entered the
turbolift that would ascend from the hangar deck up
to their quarters, she abruptly brought the lift to a
halt on the deck where the garden had been constructed
for Htaere. She felt it to be a far more appropriate
venue, and as she stepped off the lift, she turned and
looked towards the Stormtroopers that had been assigned
to them. "Dismissed," she ordered, but they were
hesitant to move as they had received their orders from
the Grand Moff himself. "I said, dismissed!" she barked,
focusing her anger over the situation on the two
underlings, who upon hearing that quickly moved outside
the garden to wait for them to finish.

Htaere blinked at
Kerrie's assertiveness, rather surprised by such a
domineering side she'd never seen prior. Pulling her
gaze from the major to the garden, she appeared even
more surprised. Bypassing any trip to Tohan, or
Claudius, Htaere could not imagine what they were doing
here. "Should I not need to unpack, or see Claudius?
What is happening?"

Kerrie brought both of
her hands up to her face, fingers intertwined with one
another, as she lowered her head into them in distress.
"Milady," she began, the words finding themselves
difficult to speak, so much so that she was now
trembling. "You ... you should sit down," she said,
before breaking completely, and turning from her
presence, cowardly. She understood now why the Grand
Moff has put this upon her ... why he could not bring
himself to do it. Maybe Doctor Tohan should have been
the one ... he somehow always knew what to say ... what
to do. As she turned, she saw Htaere's guarlara and
moved towards it as an excuse, taking it first by the
reign and then rubbing the side of it's head gently. "I
took care of it for you..." she said, changing the
subject, as she waited for Htaere to ready herself.

Htaere pursed her lips
briefly before letting a sigh soften her expression.
"Thank you," she acknowledged before taking a seat.

Kerrie reached her head
to the top of her head, and pulled the black uniform hat
from her head, nearly crushing it in her hands as she
nervously encircled her fingers around it. "While you
were away certain events have transpired," she began,
swallowing so deeply that she threatened to suck down
her tongue. "Jelena," she continued, finding it hard to
say the name. There was painful association connected to
it, and she wondered if she had even spoke it aloud
since the young girl left. "Jelena betrayed us," she
revealed, lowering her head, until her chin was
practically touching her chest.

"Betrayed us?" Htaere
repeated slowly. She turned her thoughts to the last
conversation she'd had with Jelena. The realization
dawning over her, she lifted her gaze towards Kerrie.
"She defected," she continued quietly, her remark
somewhere between a question and a statement. "She has
joined the rebellion, yes?"

Kerrie silently nodded
her head in a defeatist attitude, a small tear forming
in her left eye and running down her cheek. "I caught
her stealing data..." she began, as she slowly moved
towards Htaere. Normally she would not allow herself to
get this close and violate her personal space, but she,
too, needed to sit down. "She shot me. I very nearly
died..." she continued, her voice filled with stress as
she replayed the events of that day inside of her head
... they would live with her forever. "She broadcast a
treasonous message on the HoloNet condemning her father,
and stole a ship to escape. We're searching for her now
on the surface," she concluded, exhaling a sharp breath,
as the burden of holding it all in had been lifted from
her shoulders, and almost instantly she could once again
breath.

Surprisingly Htaere took
in the report with suppressed reaction. She should have
read the signs. She should of anticipated this move of
Jelena's. "She shot you?" Htaere clarified the one thing
that really hit her.

Kerrie hesitated for a
moment, her body trembling next to Htaere's, as the
trauma of what had happened was still fresh with her.
"Yes," was all she could say, unable to look Htaere
directly in the eyes. "There's more..." she continued,
swallowing deeply as she finally raised her head. "The
Grand Moff..." she began, unable to speak his name in
light of all that transpired. "He has gone mad with
grief. He has withdrawn. He has been drinking again..."
she said, speaking in rapid succession as she stumbled
over the words to bring her up to speed. "He has
blockaded the planet below where she fled ... hoping to
contain her," she explained, noting that Htaere might
not fully understand the military terms she was using,
and considered how best to explain it to her. "No ships
have been able to get to or from the surface. The
planet's economy is in ruins and there's threat of an
all out revolt. If that happens ... then your husband
will be in grave trouble with the Emperor. But ... but
he cannot see the error of his ways anymore," she said,
betraying his confidence, and sharing her opinion of the
tactical situation to the one person she could truly
trust aboard the ship.

Htaere's insides felt
like a black hole, suffocating in the pull. Her mind
turned the facts over in light-speed analysis. It was an
overload of catastrophe and chaos but there was no time
to grieve. With a clairvoyance and calm that was it of
character, Htaere put a hand on Kerrie's shoulder and
gave a delicate squeeze. "I am so sorry, Kerrie. Jelena
has been struggling to find herself for a long time. I
am sorry I was not here for you, but I am glad that you
survived your ordeal." She offered a smile that belied
any worry. "Everything will be OK. I am here now."

The squeeze was much
needed and helped to bolster her confidence at the
moment just when she most likely to break. "There is
some good news!" she exclaimed, the color returning to
her cheeks, as she offered a small smile to Htaere. "I
was finally able to dispose of that vile witch, Arden
Zevrin," she boasted proudly, having relished the
opportunity to throw her into her bank of monitors and
electrocute her. She was not sure how Htaere would
react, as the name was sure to bring her mixed emotions.

Uncharacteristically
Htaere laughed out loud before she could restrain
herself. Quickly her hands covered her mouth at such an
indiscretion, straightening up though a twinkle of
amusement remained in her features. "I apologize," she
corrected before whispering "but not really." She was
drawn into contemplation for a second. "I hated her
intently but you know this." Her eyes dropped to her
hands where she fiddled uncomfortably. "Her false
accusations led to my torture, and that caused the death
of my unborn child." She smiled over at Kerrie and
leaned against her affectionately in a nudge. "It is
improper to admit that I am almost ... happy to hear of
your justice. You are a wonderful friend."

A cold chill ran down
Kerrie's spine as she listened to Htaere recount the
events that leaded up to her miscarriage. Failing to
protect Htaere from the ISB brought tremendous shame
upon her, and in becoming overwrought her concentration
broke and she briefly shifted back into her natural
Clawdite state. For only a moment her pleasant human
exterior failed her, and the cold, gray reptilian-like
face showed through. Her eyes almost immediately closed,
and with a slight breath of concentration she became the
Major Kiley they all had accustomed themselves to. "We
will be moving soon," she said, almost as an
afterthought, in a desperate attempt to change the
subject.

"Oh? To where?" Htaere's
brow lifted.

"The Governor will be
receiving a new command ship," Kerrie explained to
Htaere, never being one to understand naval matters.
Despite her service to the man, which was almost
entirely spent aboard this vessel, she had never quite
accustomed herself to how cold it felt aboard. Faced
with the prospect of moving to a new, larger ship did
not meet her with any great enthusiasm, but she did
believe it would make it easier to protect the remaining
members of the family. "How was your trip?" she asked,
turning her head slightly to look at Htaere with her
carefully mimicked human eyes.

"A new ship?" Htaere's
pensive gaze dropped to some array of plant life nearby
before returning to Kerrie's face. "It
was...restful...at least partially." She redirected the
conversation. "How can this be if he is in jeopardy of
reprimand with the Emperor in regards to the events
taking place here?"

"He traveled personally
to Kuat to secure delivery of the ship with the
Inquisitor," Kerrie explained, as she considered what
was appropriate to share, and what was best to left
unsaid. "The Inquisitor ... forced ... Kuat of Kuat to
turn one of the new ships over to the Governor. Jelena
used their absence to execute her escape..." she
continued, nodding her head repeatedly as she spoke. "He
has been all consumed ever since. The Emperor does not
yet know the situation on Esseles. With the blockade no
news leaves the system, but if the planet does descend
into revolt..." she stopped short, frowning at the
prospect, and biting at her lower lip before considering
what to say next. "He wants Jelena back, and is willing
to do anything, no matter how destructive it might be.
His commanders have told him. He does not listen..." she
sighed, in frustration, more at herself than the
situation, as she was dragging the drama of conferences
into her personal conversations with Htaere. This was
not what she had intended.

"Claudius is quite
stubborn," Htaere nodded absently. Gears turned slowly
in her mind before her head turned slowly to take in
Kerrie in a measured gaze. "The Empire has caused so
much trouble in so many of your lives, and yet, you all
remain fiercely loyal." She chewed at a lip idly. "I
wonder when the time might come that such loyalty no
longer holds weight." With a deep exhale, she nodded
once more. "Is there anything else that I should know?
This is private. I shall disclose nothing of course. Is
there anything else that you should tell me?"

"My loyalty is to the
Governor," Kerrie said, matter-of-factly, feeling quite
certain of her duty to the man. It was a complicated
relationship, and he had not always treated her well,
but through service to him, and his family, she had
found a purpose in life other than sitting in cantinas
getting drunk while waiting for the next target of
opportunity. "I do not wish to burden you with so much,
so soon, Milady," she said with trepidation, her voice
trembling slightly before continuing. "There have been
urgent messages from Delaya. There is a food crisis.
Most of their food came from Alderaan, and many of the
Alderaanians who were off world when it was destroyed
are arriving on Delaya as it is now the closest thing
they have to a home. The Empire will not send food for
... obvious reason," she said with some awkwardness,
nearly tripping over the words as she spoke. "And the
Governor is too concerned with Jelena to even bother
reading the messages," she informed her grimly, as she
began to empathize with the young woman returning to
such a calamity.

Since her interrogation
and torture, there existed a darkness in Htaere, a look
to her eye that had not been prior. Since the ordeals of
her thus-far short marriage into the Empire, a harshness
began to grow, a firmness edging out the softness,
relentless trials-by-fire feeding an ember, an ember of
skepticism, of doubt...of anger. "Kerrie, I find I am
growing weary of being the doormat of these games and
intrigues," she replied, getting to her feet. "I have
learned that I cannot possibly keep pace in this world
you live in as I am. I cannot survive amongst you being
complacent and silent." She looked down at Kerrie over
her shoulder. "You help to forge me. I cannot return to
this world of war and politics without weapons to
prevent my own extinction here. Now is as good a time as
ever to lay all of the cards out on the table." She
adjusted the colorful sari around her frame. "Where is
Claudius?"

Kerrie had never seen
Htaere behave in such a manner, and it was only then
that she realized how she had grown since the time she
arrived as a naive bride last year. A sene of dread
began to grow in the pit of her stomach, and it soon
found itself flowing throughout her body. As she rose
from the bench, shw slowly turned to make strong eye
contact with the Hapan. "Clau...your husband is in his
office, Milady," she dutifully reported to her friend,
knowing that he had asked not to be disturbed, and
fearing for what the suddenness of their meeting with
all this information might bring.

Htaere had known Kerrie
long enough to read apprehension in her. Resting a hand
on her shoulder, she smiled. "Relax. I am not one of
Claudius' underlings. He does not hold power over me as
he does those in his command." She moved towards the
door, offering a quick grin over her shoulder again.
"Besides, surely a wife is able to see her husband after
a long time away."

As Kerrie listened to
Htaere she did her best to kneed the wrinkles out of her
uniform cover, before placing it back upon her head to
make herself look more presentable in front of her
superior. As they stepped out of the garden the two
Stormtroopers were still on duty and began following
them as they moved towards the lift. "I am sure the
Governor would be most pleased to see you, Milady," she
said, being dishonest for the sake of appearances in
front of the Stormtroopers. She did not agree with what
Htaere had just said, but she did not feel it was her
place to disagree with her. As they entered the lift it
felt like it was the slowest ride they had ever been.
Eventually they arrived at the command level, which now
boasted impressive Storm Commandos on guard, and there
was a presence of Imperial officers bustling about and
mouse droids scurrying about the floor.

Htaere noted them all but
paid them no mind. She knew the halls of the Warspite
well enough to direct herself to the office, heedless if
any of them followed her or not. Without a split second
of hesitation, she strode straight up to the door and
pushed the button to open it.

"I said no
interruptions!" Claudius Rodney yelled angrily, as he
loomed over the large viewport that dominated the far
bulkhead of his office. His eyes were piercing down at
the planet Esseles, watching intently as the Imperial
vessels surrounded the planet, stopping any vessel
foolish enough to leave or arrive at the planet. The
other bulkhead features a readout of the tactical
situation, detailing all of the ships, with hourly
reports from the ground teams searching the planet.
There were a stack of datapads on his desk, all carrying
important messages from the other systems in his
command, and his home planet of Delaya, which had gone
largely ignored. He did not even bother to turn to face
who had entered, keeping his back to them at all times.
His hands grabbed at the frame of the viewport so
tightly that his knuckles had turned white. She was down
there ... somewhere.

Htaere had seen her
husband's temper enough times that it too hardly phased
her. She moved towards his desk, halting at the point
where her angelic reflection appeared in the viewport
along side where Claudius hovered angrily, reminiscent
of their first meeting. "Well I am trying out this new
thing called disobedience and I have found I rather like
it," Htaere answered. She folded her hands in front of
her and smiled pleasantly as she waited.

Claudius froze when he
saw Htaere's reflection in the viewport, and for a brief
moment he regained himself, as a smile involuntarily
crept upon his stern lips. He turned suddenly and with a
motion of his hand the door was sealed behind them,
seperating Kerrie and the other officers from them.
"Disobedience?" he said slowly, the words sounding
strange as they escaped his lips ... particularly in
regards to Htaere. "I did not realize you had returned.
I left orders for them to tell me when you had arrived,"
he informed her, looking slightly confused by this
omission. In fact they had told him, but the report was
just one of many he had not bothered to review this day.
If it did not involve Jelena he simply pushed it aside,
or even discarded it.

"Indeed. They told me you
were not to be disturbed," Htaere answered
matter-of-factly. "I chose to come in anyway." Htaere
took momentary survey of him from head to toe. "Hello my
love. I have missed you." Without permission she glided
towards him and slipped her arms tightly around him.

That warm, kind touch was
something he had not felt for a long time ... so much in
fact that it almost felt foreign to him. "Those orders
were never meant to include you," Claudius said,
bringing his arms up around her awkwardly, before
embracing her as best he could given his mental
distance. "I-I have missed you also," he said,
stammering, as he tried to remember just how long she
had been gone. Everything had been such a blur and the
days had begun to blend into one another as he had kept
himself isolated ... working ... brooding. He had not
even spent time with his two remaining children. "Did
you enjoy your trip?" he asked, as matter of formality,
and as he drew her in closer, he inhaled her scent,
finding some familiarity in it that soothed him and
brought him back to a place mentally he had not been in
so long.

Htaere risked a chuckle.
"I did, as much as one can when one spends a long period
of time around one's parents." She noted he smelled a
bit stale yet nuzzled him anyway. "By the looks of
things, you have been kept busy." She ventured a gaze up
towards his wary-looking face. "Take a break? Come back
with me to the estate? A have a magnificent soup recipe
from home that is most good for the soul." She reached
up to stroke the side of his face in genuine concern.
"Come back with me. Let us spend an evening resting and
talking, yes?"

When Htaere said the word
'parent' a sharp sensation of pain struck him, that
caused him to briefly grit his teeth. He was nearly
overcome with grief as that one word had served to take
him out of the moment. He wobbled noticably, and his
knees threatened to buckle beneath him. "Soup?" he
repeated, now sounding if he was somewhere else ...
somewhere distant. He staggered, before turning from
her, and lowering his head in defeat. He brought his
right hand up to his temple quickly, and pressed down in
an attempt to relieve the pain that was contained
somewhere deep inside.

"Claudius..." Htaere put
a hand on his shoulder. "Come with me. We could both use
the rest." She ventured to touch the side of his
forehead with the backs of her fingers in search of any
fever. "I shall have Doctor Tohan meet us there. Come
with me."

Claudius began to follow
Htaere instinctively, and when the door from his office
opened into the external offices that proceeded it he
had to bring his hand to shield his eyes from the added
light. He squinted at first, blinking hurriedly to try
and adjust, as he had kept his office dimly lit during
the time he was holed up in there. All of the officers
stopped their work and paused to look at the man, whom
they had not seen in some time, and were shocked that
the Hapan, whom they often dismissed, had managed to
coax him out and back to reality.

Evaluating the situation,
Htaere ushered Claudius back in the room and towards a
seating area. "Wait here and rest while I take care of
everything," she assured him. Re-emerging at the door,
Htaere's grey piercing eyes spanned the area for Kerrie.
"Major Kiley," she stated rather sternly. Drawing
alongside Kerrie, her tone became that of a whisper.
"Dismiss these people immediately. Tell them they may
resume their posts tomorrow. Have Randi prep the shuttle
for immediate departure to the estate and have Pilaq
meet us there. Inform me when this accomplished,
please." With that, she withdrew to Cladius' office and
closed the door once more.

For several minutes,
Htaere moved about before appearing alongside Claudius
with a cup of tea. "Claudius, here is some nice warm tea
while we are waiting for your shuttle. It will help."
She extended the cup and saucer towards him delicately.
"*She* can be found, but not today. Today, rest, and I
shall take care of it."

Kerrie's face lost much
of its color when Htaere began issuing orders as if she
were an Imperial commander. She had never seen this side
of her before, and frankly she did believe she had it in
her. It took her a moment before she realized what was
going on, and she blinked suddenly, as if to flip a
switch. "Clear the room!" she ordered to the officers
and troopers that were on duty, and gradually they began
to flee the scene, until not even a mouse droid was
left. She looked to Htaere, then briefly to the
Governor, and then back to Htaere before leaving to go
and find Randi to get the shuttle ready for departure.

Claudius was barely aware
of what has happening with Htaere and his officers, as
he maneuvered back into his office and took a seat on
one of the upholstered seats where he often took more
casual meetings. When she handed him the cup of tea the
trembling of his hand caused some of it to spill over
the rim of the cup and onto the saucer below. Gradually
he sipped at it, as he listened to Htaere's reassuring
words that combined with the tea to warm him. "She's out
there. Frightened and alone. It's my fault ... my
fault," he said, sipping at the tea once again.

"The Jelena that was
developing was not the frightened child, but a decisive
young woman," Htaere commented lightly. "There *may* be
a way to find out how she is doing," she offered gently,
not wanting to get hopes up. "But there are no
guarantees." Htaere turned things over in her mind.
"What is is that you plan to do with her once you find
her? You will be obligated to turn her over for treason.
You know this. And you also know they will do to her
what they did to me, if not worse." The young Hapan
noblewoman regarded her older husband intently. "The
Empire has cost us one child. Will you allow them to
take another?"

Claudius began to
neurotically rock back and forth as he listened to
Htaere speak, taking a final sip of the tea, before
slowly placing it down on the table in front of him. "If
the ISB should capture her than I fear for what would
happen..." he said, looking up at her with cold, brown
eyes, a sense of hurt and helplessness emanating from
deep within. "If I find her I can use my power to
protect her. I do not believe she did this of her own
volition. They must have brainwashed her ... or being
controlling her somehow..." he speculated, rambling like
a madman, as he desperately searched for any explanation
to justify away his daughter's treasonous actions.

"The way it protected
me?" Htaere asked plainly. She leaned back a bit and
gave his leg a pat. "Do not worry of such things at this
moment. At the very least, we may be able to ascertain
her state of health. For tonight, you must rest." And
with that, she stood and returned to the door waiting
for Kerrie.

Claudius' body tensed
when she said that, and for several moments he was
unable to move, not even to breath. She was right of
course, and after holding his breath a long, deep sigh
escaped his lips and he leaned back, sinking deep into
the sofa on which he rested. On paper he was now one of
the most powerful beings in the Empire, but in reality
he could not even manage his own family or even himself.
He had never been able to balance his career with his
family life, and now it had all caught up with him and
he was in the midst of paying the ultimate price.

It was then that the door
to the office once again opened, revealing the presence
of the returning Major Kiley. Her cheeks were flushed
red, and she was breathing heavily, nearly panting, as
she had ran all the way back from the hangar bay and the
medical suite. She raised a gloved hand to the frame of
the door to support herself, while she took several deep
breaths to catch herself. "Ra-Randi has-has the shuttle
ready, Milady," she explained, before pulling off her
cap to fan herself slightly, increasing the flow of
oxygen to her.

"Thank you, Major,"
Htaere's voice could be heard, before she flashed a
quick glance to Claudius before stepping out of the room
and letting the door close behind her. She leaned very
close to Kerrie and whispered. "Kerrie, do you recall
the Hapan rebel you apprehended some months back
operating in this system?"

Kerrie shifted about
nervously at Htaere's questioning, having tried her best
to cover up that juicy bit of information. The fact that
she did not eliminate that Rebel was likely the reason
that Jelena had been able to defect. Maybe if she had
been able to stop Rebel than none of this would have
ever happened. Her eyes darted from left to right as she
considered whether or not she should answer that
question. "Yes. Yes I do remember her..." she muttered
bitterly, wondering just what Htaere was getting at.

"Claudius is not of
clairvoyant thinking, Kerrie. I need your help
desperately. Do you recall any of your bounty hunting
skills and tricks?"

"One does not forget,"
Kerrie repeatedly simply enough, as she tilted her head
to look up at the Hapan. "What help do you need?" she
asked slowly, as she dreaded the answer that was to
come. She swallowed uncomfortably, and moved a gloved
finger to her collar in an attempt to stretch it, and
give her a momentarily increase in the amount of air she
was able to breath in.

"If at all possible, I
should like for you to arrange a meeting with this Hapan
and I. I trust you can accomplish this utilizing those
very appropriate skills to ensure the absolute secrecy
of this request. No one must be able to track your
communications, or whatever meeting spot we might be
able to arrange," Htaere began to explain. "Claudius is
overwhelmed with concern for Jelena and believes she has
been manipulated into service of the rebellion," she
continued. "I do not share his opinion, however, we may
perhaps be able to at the very least, alleviate his
concern about her well-being. Perhaps this Hapan knows
where Jelena is and how she fares. I cannot promise she
will return to us, but if I can at least grant Claudius
the peace of mind knowing she is well, then I shall
pursue such if possible." Htaere regarded the Clawdite
major very carefully. "Kerrie I am placing in you the
most irrevocable act of trust, higher than that I would
place in Claudius at this point. Not because I believe
he would betray my activities to the Empire, but because
I believe they scrutinize all." She was quiet for a
moment. "I do not wish to have to take sides in this war
that is not mine. I only wish to preserve what family I
have."

Kerrie could not believe
what she was hearing come from Htaere's mouth, and she
turned, looking for a place to sit as the room began to
spin. She continued to listen to what she was asking of
her, and she soon found herself looking up at the
ceiling rather than Htaere. "What you're asking..." she
began, her voice heavy, as she considered the further
danger it could bring to all of them. What Htaere was
asking for was nothing short of treason. "I-I will do
it," she said, almost immediately regretting it after
she spoke the words, but she could not bring herself to
not do what she asked. "I hope you know what you're
doing, Milady," she said, finally looking up at her,
before rising up from the chair and moving towards her.
As she arrived in front of Htaere, she extended her arms
around her, and began a warm, tight embrace. "The
shuttle is waiting for you both," she said, before
breaking the hug, and starting to back away from her one
true friend.

Taken aback, Htaere
warmed to Kerrie's embrace in reciprocation. "I have
returned to a family and a home in ruin, to people gone,
to people recovering, to innocence lost. In truth, I
hope Jelena never returns. I know what awaits her in the
interrogation rooms. I hope she flees and lives her
life. In truth," she began, confessing quietly, "I do
not know what I am doing. But I do not know what else to
do." With that she withdrew to collect a disheveled
Claudius.